By Veronica Green-Gott
Portraits by Melissa Fuller
Olivia Williams, who started her riding career in a town with a population of less than 200 people, has now competed at some of the top equestrian destinations all over the country. A sophomore in college, she grew up in San Francisco where she spent the majority of her career riding with Holly and Elizabeth “Lumpy” Kilham at Kilham farms in Nicasio, California. She competed up and down the West Coast, showing everywhere from Desert International Horse Park to the Silicon Valley Equestrian Festival.
While living in San Francisco, she got the ride on Irocco Blue S, barn name Rocco. Little did she know at the time that she and the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood would travel the country together. Olivia and Rocco’s partnership has grown over the years, and she said that no matter where her career takes her, she can’t envision going into the ring without him. When they first met, Rocco and Olivia were both a little green and still learning the ropes of the 1.40m classes.
But just a few years after Olivia starting riding Rocco, they now boast an impressive resume together, including competing in the North American Youth Championships (NAYC) and finishing 10th in the Prix des States. At the NAYC, Olivia’s team finished with a bronze medal, and she finished in sixth place individually.
After the championships, Olivia had a lot of decisions to make. She graduated from high school in 2022 and had to decide between two very different life paths: a career in horses or a college education. She managed to find a path that has worked for her throughout her freshman year. While she moved away from home to go to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Rocco moved to Florida to live with Andrew and Alex Welles. Every other week, Olivia flies to Florida to compete her horse.
What’s it like to train under Andrew Welles?
Riding with Andrew, and all of Team Welles, has been incredible. He has really given me the opportunity to take my riding to the next level and has helped me achieve many of my goals. It has been great to be able to gain insight into riding at the top level. Andrew puts an emphasis on working on the horse and rider as a team, and tailors the plan to suit each horse-and-rider combination, which has been incredibly beneficial to my riding.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from working with him?
Andrew has taught me the importance of maintaining a good mindset when competing. He puts a strong emphasis on the mental aspect of this sport, and has taught me to come away from each ride with positive takeaways. I feel as though I’ve grown a lot as a rider and competitor since riding with Andrew, and I’m excited to continue to learn from him in the future.
What’s your favorite memory with Rocco?
It would definitely be competing with Rocco at Young Riders for the first time together. After working so hard to qualify all year, it was incredible to see how much we grew as a team and how well our hard work paid off. I was so proud of his improvement and how he really stepped up at Young Riders, despite being one of the youngest horses in the class.
What was your hardest moment with Rocco, and what did you learn from it?
My hardest moment wasn’t so much a “moment,” but more a time period. My initial few months with him were really hard. While getting to know any new horse takes time, I found it to be even more difficult given his young age and my inexperience at these new heights. It definitely took a lot of patience and work, but once we figured each other out, it was incredible.
Taking the time at the beginning to go slow and truly get to know one another was extremely beneficial in the long run as it gave both of us a lot of confidence in one another and allowed us to feel comfortable moving up to different heights. I learned a lot about the necessity of trust and confidence between horse and rider, as well as about the importance of giving yourself time to become a team.
How does having only one competition horse impact your planning and decision making?
When planning for competitions, we always try to create a plan that sets us up for success. We strategically plan which classes to enter so that we can achieve my goals to the best of our abilities, while also prioritizing Rocco and his health. As of now, I feel very blessed to have a horse like Rocco, who allows me to gain experience at some of the bigger heights despite not riding multiple horses. I’ve been able to show consistently while giving Rocco the necessary time off. His health and well-being are always our top priority, so we only show as much as we feel he is up to.
How is Wellington different from where you rode in California?
I will always be appreciative of the training I received in California. Nicasio and the entire California circuit is where I began my love for horses and the sport in general, and for that I will be forever thankful. Riding in California allowed me to develop into a competitor and horse person.
I feel as though Wellington has given me the opportunity to learn how to compete at a higher level and take the next step in my riding career. The show circuit in Wellington is much larger than the California circuit I grew up riding on, which has honestly been the biggest change. I have never had the experience of trailering in and out to show before, which is very common in Wellington. I love that aspect, as I feel it’s extremely beneficial to Rocco to be able to show and then return to the comfort of home and turnout.
Wellington has such an assortment of different styles of riding, such as dressage, show jumping and polo, all in one location. That aspect of it has been incredible for me to experience and is also very different from California. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to ride and learn so much in both California and Wellington, as both locations have been impactful on my riding career.
What do you see yourself doing in the future?
I’m currently a finance major with a minor in real estate at the University of Notre Dame. While I’m not certain what exactly I want to do in the future, I’m interested in the investment side of real estate. Real estate has always interested me, so I hope to find a career that allows me to continue to expand on that interest. 
No matter what I do professionally, I see myself continuing to ride. While it may not be at the level I’m competing at now, I still plan on riding as much as I can. My professional career may take precedence over riding when I’m beginning to work; however, I know that I’ll return to the sport at some point in my life when I’m financially stable enough to do so myself.
What’s on your bucket list?
A bucket-list item for my riding career would be to compete on the Longines Global Champions Tour. I would love to compete with Rocco in Europe one day. Their venues are absolutely incredible and so unique, it would be a dream come true to compete at them. I would especially like to compete in Monaco and Saint Tropez, and just have the opportunity to tour those places while showing. That would be such a dream. I don’t think it’s going to happen this year. But if there’s any way I can convince my parents for next year, I would love to. The European circuit just seems incredible.
Follow Olivia on Instagram @oliviawilliamseq
Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com
